OVERALL: We talked a bit at practice already, but this was a meet where we just needed to get out and go to work. Mission accomplished! As mentioned as well, we were consistent in our efforts and there were no wild swings in performance in the three days since Wenatchee. Excellent. This meet was essentially a Tuesday workout with a little race day mental practice. We got in 5000m of interval work to kick off the middle part of our season, and we also had some great opportunities with both the boys and the girls to “pack it up” and practice running with teammates. And there were some picture-perfect scenarios in that regard. This will continue to serve us well in the weeks ahead. A great job to all, and here we go with Week #6!
JV BOYS: 53 Finishers - Another scoring effort with seven JV runners, and we were the 4th team overall behind Brewster, Cascade, and Cashmere.
Kyler: 20:53, 13th place. 1st Mile: 6:16
SO close to a faster time than last week, and it was a huge PR on this course - which you covered in 22:36 with when we raced here last March. The best thing about this race was that you attacked the first mile and that you owned your spot in that front part of the pack. Cousin Wiley was Omak’s second runner, and you beat him by over a minute! You are going to have SO many people to race this weekend at Twilight and you are going to love it!
Little T (Tristan H): 22:21, 22nd place. 1st Mile: 6:26,
Consistent again with that first mile even with the big hill and it was great to see you and Taro together at that point in the race. Your experience with JRH racing is a great bonus for Taro’s learning curve in the sport and I’m hopeful this week at Twilight that you all can pack it up for as long as possible. Keep thinking about the rhythm in your arms and excellent job as well in coming to practice on Friday even when you were no doubt tired from the Outward Bound trip. Efforts like that will keep adding to you stamina and mid-race strength.
Tristan: 22:33, 24th place, 1st Mile: 5:53,
So great to see you leading this thing out and putting yourself right where you deserved to be with a commanding 100m+ lead before the inexplicable light-headedness etc.. A good decision on your part to back it off, but I’m also really glad that you finished in a controlled manner and did not have to drop. Maybe a hydration issue… but let’s keep checking in this week and be certain that you don’t have similar symptoms at any practice. I’d also try some Nuun or a similar kind of electrolyte tablet for workouts on Tues and Thursday this week. I’ll talk to you more about it on Monday.
Taro: 22:52, PR, 28th place. 1st Mile: 6:26
Awesome to see you right there with Tristan at the mile, and this is maybe 20-25 seconds faster at the mile than you were on Saturday in Wenatchee. You might have felt it a little later on, but at the same time these are good experiments to make, and your fitness is only going to improve with each and every race. TONS of kids again in the race this weekend in Marysville. You and Tristan will have lots of company and a fun, fast course on which to run your best time of the season so far.
Malloch: 23:27, 32nd place. 1st Mile: 7:20
Nice job getting out similar to Saturday, and in the grand scheme of times you were consistently faster than most on the team. And by that I mean you ran just about the exact same time at Okanogan as you did at Wenatchee, whereas most people were a little bit slower. This is a good sign that you are strong and that racing just a few days apart didn’t show up in more tired legs or any different ability to push through the harder parts of the race. There should be tons of kids for you to race this coming weekend in Marysville. If you can push in the middle and pass people in the final mile like you did in Wenatchee, you have a great shot at breaking 23 minutes!
Madison: 25:32, 41st place. 1st Mile: 7:30
First, you ran 30:27 in March, so this was a big improvement! Sorry to hear about the stomach issues in the final mile but you were working hard and maybe there is a little bit that you can refine in your pre-race snack. Ideally, you’ll eat something 2 hours ahead of time, and you really won’t need any special fuel for these shorter 5k efforts. Keep thinking about good arm drive to lift the legs and to keep that tempo going. A 25min 5k (24:30 even) this weekend at Twilight is a real possibility!
Hunter: 33:29, 49th place. 1st Mile: 10:20
Great job out there Hunter! Sometimes these smaller races can be even a little more difficult because you don’t have quite as many people to run with. That being said, you found a spot early and raced the race you had. Five weeks in you are stronger than you even know. I saw it on those Saturday hills as you were kicking on that short section at the top. Keep working on that tempo. Drop those arms a bit to the hips and let them drive you forward. Your endurance is getting there. Now you need to crank it up a bit and trust that you can keep it rolling -- which you can. Have a great trip to visit your sister and be sure to keep running while you are gone!!!
VARSITY GIRLS: 44 Finishers. 2nd place. 39 for LBHS vs 37 for Cascade. We saw some excellent racing -- not just running -- out there. You all were sooo competitive with a good (and larger school sized) Cascade team right down the line. It was exciting to see each of you find your race and then dig in for it. You are a very good team capable of surprising a lot of people. Consider that a strength.
Jori: 20:33, 3rd place, 1st Mile: 6:28
Nice job taking charge from the start. You know what a good pace is and you didn’t let the other racers get away with playing games at the beginning. You ran confidently and, like on Saturday, that also provided the sense of calm and confidence your teammates needed. I loved seeing that extra fierce kick in the last 50 meters -- you have some extra gears!
Leki: 20:34, 4th place, 1st Mile: 6:28
Another super impressive showing, especially just two days off your first race and just a few days from not feeling so well. You did an excellent job of sticking like glue to your teammates and (hopefully) zoning out at times and then focusing in. That stretch from 2 to 3 miles is going to start feeling easier -- just be patient. Keep getting out in good position like you are and trust. You have great racing instincts -- as you feel more in the groove with this season, let those instincts guide you, don’t let your mind get in the way!
Dashe: 20:53, 5th place, 1st Mile: 6:28
That was such a super impressive last mile -- oh my! You did a great job getting out in mile 1 and we want you to keep doing that. Then, you lost a little contact in the middle but, wow, did you do an awesome job re-connecting. That is hard work -- and takes a lot of mental strength, patience, and determination. I hope you feel extra proud of that effort -- it tells me you are ready for an excellent performance at Twilight.
Payten: 23:10, 13th place, 1st Mile: 7:24
You did an excellent job reeling in Cascade’s #5 runner and bringing along Kierra in her 2021 debut. Your confidence, patience, and strength made both of those successes possible. You got out a bit slower (about 11 seconds) than on Saturday. When we get back to a big field at Twilight on Saturday, I want to encourage you to get out harder (like in Wenatchee) and launch yourself so that you are surrounded by people who will help pull you along. Keep talking to us about those pesky shins.
Kierra: 23:14, 14th place, 1st Mile: 7:24
It’s so good to see you out there racing. You made a wise choice to follow Payten and, just like in workouts, you ran tougher than I think you give yourself credit for. I know you don’t like a lot of attention for your running, but you really do show a ton of tenacity out there and you do know how to run hard. I think you just might find you like the vibe of this small but mighty girls team this year!
Sandra: 25:05, 20th place, 1st Mile: 7:56
I know you thought that one hurt, but it was still your 2nd fastest race! I think the first quarter mile made all the difference -- at Wenatchee you went out boldly and with this start, you just looked a bit more hesitant. As we head into the Twilight race, please remember all the hard work you are putting in and trust yourself -- you can do hard things and even if you go out too hard, you will (I just know it) find a way to keep racing. You are capable of running very fast for 5K -- we just need you to believe that from the moment the gun goes off.
Zoe: 29:07, 31st place. 1st Mile: 9:20
Two longer races under your belt in just 3 days! You’ve more than proven that the longer distances are no problem. This was another fine early season race and you should feel good about the way you tackled that hill twice. You have plenty of endurance, strength, and positive attitude to get you through any race. So, now as we look to Twilight, let’s start talking race strategy and get you going out a little harder. I think you’re going to surprise yourself.
VARSITY BOYS: 68 Finishers. 1st place out of 10 complete teams. LBHS 31, Cascade 59, Cashmere 83, Royal 100, Tonasket 181, Republic 181, Okanogan 243, Manson 249, Omak 265, Lake Roosevelt 265. This was our first team victory in maybe 3-4 years. It was a necessary work-a-day mid-week performance at a smaller meet, but it was a statement nonetheless with all seven runners in the top 17 and 6 of our runners in before any other team had three.
Dexter: 16:34, 1st place, 1st Mile: 5:23
Will: 16:39, 2nd place, 1st Mile: 5:23
Terrific team running and you two have clearly established yourselves as the class of District 6 as we head into the middle part of the season. Excellent to see you work together and it seemed like there was some talk and communication about how things were going and/or when to push etc.. This kind of work will pay dividends well into the future, and I hope that you can find each other again in the busier field at Twilight -- just like you did last weekend in Wenatchee. Keep trusting that gut for first mile pacing. Keep rolling on that strength from good summer miles and consistent long runs. GRRR!
Will, not that you need a reminder of last spring, but even Connor Torgeson who won that meet only ran 17:54 in March. A slightly different course, yes, but smooth, strong, and confident running out there all around. Nice work!
Graham: 17:35, 7th place, 1st Mile: 5:30
Aksel: 17:56, 10th place, 1st Mile: 5:30 -- after a 20:22 performance in March!
Isaiah: 18:04, 11th place, 1st Mile: 5:30 -- after a 20:39 in March :)
Carter: 18:05, 12th place, 1st Mile: 5:30
I will get back to some individual thoughts for Twilight, but the story of the day here was NOT about individual times. It was about team running and pack domination at the start of that race, AND the fact that your ambitions and very noticeable front-running was backed up 100% as the race unfolded. Yes, we spread out a bit after mile one, but not a single team could match us and you held each other accountable and stuck as close together as a group as you possibly could. This is soul-crushing running when it comes to other teams! If you think it’s hard but can look up to 3-4 other teammates just seconds apart, you know that the team is doing well. If someone on another team sees four of you packed at the mile and only seconds apart at mile 2.5, they KNOW that you are dominating the race. Six guys in the top twelve and all seven of you in the top seventeen. Keep looking for each other. Keep talking and encouraging one another. Keep those heads up and those arms cranking to bridge those gaps and to pass other people en masse and as a group. Tight team running like this is a HUGE advantage in a race like Twilight. Just another step along the way, but it will be exciting to see you race in that final session of the meet at 7pm and under the lights!
Jackson: 18:58, 17th place, 1st Mile: 5:51
Another race where your form looked fantastic and carried you through even when things got hard. You are standing tall, picking up those feet and really have an excellent snap and energy to your running right now. Keep running like that -- AND like you did in the hill workout on Saturday -- and the time is going to drop in chunks over the next 2-3 races. You ran 21:15 in March on this course and you are a totally different runner again this fall. Keep up the great work and you are going to LOVE getting back to Twilight!
Will: 16:39, 2nd place, 1st Mile: 5:23
Terrific team running and you two have clearly established yourselves as the class of District 6 as we head into the middle part of the season. Excellent to see you work together and it seemed like there was some talk and communication about how things were going and/or when to push etc.. This kind of work will pay dividends well into the future, and I hope that you can find each other again in the busier field at Twilight -- just like you did last weekend in Wenatchee. Keep trusting that gut for first mile pacing. Keep rolling on that strength from good summer miles and consistent long runs. GRRR!
Will, not that you need a reminder of last spring, but even Connor Torgeson who won that meet only ran 17:54 in March. A slightly different course, yes, but smooth, strong, and confident running out there all around. Nice work!
Graham: 17:35, 7th place, 1st Mile: 5:30
Aksel: 17:56, 10th place, 1st Mile: 5:30 -- after a 20:22 performance in March!
Isaiah: 18:04, 11th place, 1st Mile: 5:30 -- after a 20:39 in March :)
Carter: 18:05, 12th place, 1st Mile: 5:30
I will get back to some individual thoughts for Twilight, but the story of the day here was NOT about individual times. It was about team running and pack domination at the start of that race, AND the fact that your ambitions and very noticeable front-running was backed up 100% as the race unfolded. Yes, we spread out a bit after mile one, but not a single team could match us and you held each other accountable and stuck as close together as a group as you possibly could. This is soul-crushing running when it comes to other teams! If you think it’s hard but can look up to 3-4 other teammates just seconds apart, you know that the team is doing well. If someone on another team sees four of you packed at the mile and only seconds apart at mile 2.5, they KNOW that you are dominating the race. Six guys in the top twelve and all seven of you in the top seventeen. Keep looking for each other. Keep talking and encouraging one another. Keep those heads up and those arms cranking to bridge those gaps and to pass other people en masse and as a group. Tight team running like this is a HUGE advantage in a race like Twilight. Just another step along the way, but it will be exciting to see you race in that final session of the meet at 7pm and under the lights!
Jackson: 18:58, 17th place, 1st Mile: 5:51
Another race where your form looked fantastic and carried you through even when things got hard. You are standing tall, picking up those feet and really have an excellent snap and energy to your running right now. Keep running like that -- AND like you did in the hill workout on Saturday -- and the time is going to drop in chunks over the next 2-3 races. You ran 21:15 in March on this course and you are a totally different runner again this fall. Keep up the great work and you are going to LOVE getting back to Twilight!